[Review] New Season Menus at Brioche Ranelagh

I've been a fan of Gavin McDonagh and his restaurant, Brioche, for quite a while now. It all started several years back with an evening time pop-up style restaurant called Brioche Ce Soir on Aungier Street where McDonagh produced very tasty small plates in the smallest of kitchens. In 2014, I visited Brioche in its stylish new home just off the main Ranelagh strip, where it was quickly clear that McDonagh had moved up a gear. I've visited several times since, each of which has reinforced that original impression of constant improvement and refinement. 

At the end of August, we visited for Saturday Lughnasa lunch. With autumn and winter looming around the corner, new season menus are coming at Brioche and we got to sample a few of the new dishes throughout our lunch. Presentation is one of McDonagh's key strengths, as well as his ability to infuse intense flavours throughout his dishes, and the bright afternoon sunshine really allowed the vibrant dishes to shine.

Because I've eaten at Brioche several times, and have already written reviews, I am not going to go into detail here. Instead, I'll let my photos do the talking. 

Smoked cured mackerel with tomato salsa and lightly fried onion rings

[Wine] Wines of Chile Event

I recently attended the Wines of Chile tasting, held in the beautiful settings of the Royal Hibernian Gallery. (By th e way, if you're looking for a hidden lunchtime spot in Dublin 2, I can definitely recommend Coppa Cafe at the RHA). Apparently Chilean wines account for 20% of sales in Ireland, but I think it's safe to say that a lot of that is in the bulk retail and bar trade. It's a country with incredible  geographic diversity, bounded on one side by the Pacific Ocean and Coastal Mountains and by the bulk of the Andes on the other side, with the Central Valley running in between. 

However, winemakers from Chile are seeking to change consumers' attitudes, and are bringing the latest technological improvements and processes to bear on their winemaking. In a country with such a dry climate, many winemakers are seeking organic certification. In addition, a wine range of grape varieties are grown in Chile, which when combined with the range of climates, leads to some very interesting and exciting wines.

The wines listed below are some of my personal favourites from the tasting. Everyone's tastebuds are different though, so feel free to venture away from Central Valley and try out some wines from different regions.

Montes Outer Limits Sauvignon Blanc 2014, Zapallar Valley, RRP €29.99

Distributed by Liberty Wines (Ireland)

Grown on very old vines, this wine has an intense nose with citrus, lime and green vegetables. Good acidity, balanced with minerality. Good length. 

Valdivieso Singe Vineyard Wild Fermented Chardonnay 2005, Leyda Valley, RRP €20.99

Distributed by J&C Kenny

Barrel fermented on the lees in a mixture of new and old oak leads to a deep golden colour with aromas of butterscotch. Approximately 10 years has left this wine  with great length, finishing with nutty, bread notes. Interestingly, this winemaker has an extensive range of wild fermented wines, which surely bears further investigation.

Vina Morande Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2014, Casablanca Valley, RRP €18.99

Distributed by Cassidy Wines

A very decently made wine in the style of classic Burgundy chardonnays. Fermented in French oak, with aromas of cedar. Peach, citrus and crisp apple initially, leading to the classic buttery hazelnut-tiness you'd expect from this style. 

Bouchon Canto Sur 2014, Maule Valley, RRP €15.00

Seeking representation

A blend of 70% Carmenere, tempered with 15% Pais and 15% Carignan. An interesting wine which made me think of my mother's crab apple jelly on the nose. Medium tannins, slight spiciness with notes of licorice and soy sauce. If this winemaker secures distribution in Ireland, make sure to try it. 

Vina Carmen Carmenère 2008, Colchuaga Valley, RRP €30.00

Distributed by C&C Gleeson

From the first look and sniff of the glass, I knew this would be special. Carmenère is the classic Chilean grape. Darkly rich, with complexity aromas of cedar and leather on the nose. Grippy tannins (my lips were literally stuck to my teeth). A perfect wine for some very decent red meat. 

Vina Carmen Carignan 2014, Maule Valley, RRP €30.00

Distributed by C&C Gleeson

From the same winemakers as the meaty Carmenere above, but a completely different affair. Lots of strawberries, loganberries and other soft red fruit on the nose. The red fruit continues through to the palate with lots of juiciness, good intensity and length. 

[Event] Judging the Pitmaster Competition at the Big Grill

Remember when you were a child and you wished so hard to become a sweet taster in a sweet factory, or else perhaps to be one of the toy testers on the annual Late Late Christmas Toy Show. The chances of these childhood dreams becoming reality were pretty slim, but that didn't stop you from dreaming. Fast forward thirty years and I bet you that we all still have some childlike dreams. Our wishes might have matured somewhat, like becoming the chief shoe buyer for Brown Thomas or working in quality control for a grand Champagne house, but I bet you those dreams still exist.

When I recently saw that the Big Grill Festival was looking for BBQ judges, I knew with every bone and tremor of destiny in my body that my time had come. This was going to be MY moment. I submitted the application form and waited. And waited some more. And then the magnificent moment arrived when I was confirmed as a judge for the inaugural Pitmaster competition with US-style low and slow BBQ.

[Review] Klaw, Temple Bar, Dublin 2

Temple Bar isn't exactly the location that immediately springs to mind for Dublin's latest fish shack restaurant. Rather than being perched moodily overlooking the sea, Klaw is neatly tucked into a narrow space on the cobblestoned Crown Alley. Owner Niall Sabongi is on a mission to make diners fall in love with fun and casual seafood, and after all, Temple Bar is the party central of Dublin.

Once you pass through the open doors, Klaw is small and narrow, with customer seating to the front, and the wide-open kitchen at the rear. (In fact, to get to the toilet, you have to walk through the kitchen). The space may be tight, but if you're lucky enough to grab one of the three small tables, you can settle in nicely.

Interior at Klaw

[Review] The Brown Bear, Two Mile House, Co Kildare

Don't you just love when you find a treasure? Over the course of my years spent blogging, I've stayed in many locations and found many culinary treasures dotted around the countryside. The latest revelation has been the wonderfully named The Brown Bear, which is located in Two Mile House, just a little bit outside Naas.

It's a little weird from the outside, sitting in a newish building in a tiny village. The building has a bang of Celtic Tiger construction from the outside, but inside, it's wide open, with stairs winding upwards and elegant decor. The Brown Bear takes its name from an Eighteenth century coach house, and indeed a shaggy brown bear motif is gilded onto the door windows. Things are looking good. 

We are seated at a booth for four, giving us plenty of room to relax. As we've arrived early, the restaurant is largely empty to start, but as the clock passes 1 o'clock, diners start to arrive in happy groups. Following our orders, we start with the most glorious of bread baskets, accompanied by olive oil, vinegar and butter pats. My personal favourite was the yeasty roll-up, filled with olive tapenade, but each and every piece was perfectly crusty and perfectly baked. 

Delectable bread basket with butter pats

[Review] Wowburger, Wellington Quay, Dublin 2

If you've been a regular reader of my blog for any period of time, you should know by now that I like a good burger. If you're a new reader to my blog, let's get the awkward introductions over, and let me tell you one interesting fact about myself. I like burgers. 

I especially like American style or dirty-style burgers. For me, this means burgers with soft, thin, juicy patties, fluffy buns (I'm flexible on bun style, as long as they're not overly crusty), lots of melty cheese, probably crisp bacon and then other optional stuff. I dislike thick, dry, mealy burgers, or hockey-puck burgers, as I like to call them. 

Right then, I think you've got a good understanding of my burger philosophy. So therefore, I am pleased to introduce you to Dublin's latest burger joint, Wowburger. In a move that relegates genius to the dumbass zone, Wowburger has been installed in the top floor, outdoor area at the superb Workman's Club. If you're not familiar with the Workman's Club, this means that Wowburger is located in a cool outdoor smoking area, in one of Dublin's best pubs, that also happens to be one of Dublin's best music venues. 

Yellow and red at Wowburger

Collect here at Wowburger

The colour scheme at Wowburger is bright yellow and candy apple red in thick diagonal stripes. I did wonder if these colours were selected based on their association with a famous burger chain and their clown mascot. Either way, it's fun and bright and the inner child within starts clapping their hands in anticipation.

The menu is simple and I choose a Wow Bacon Cheeseburger (€6.95) with regular fries (€2.95) and a thick vanilla milkshake (€3.95). Himself also chooses the bacon cheeseburger, albeit with different toppings, plus the wonderful sounding garlic butter fries (€2.95). After payment, we sit down at one of the eclectic mix of tables and wait for our order to be called. 

The burgers are served in de rigeur style, on an aluminum tray lined with greaseproof paper and wrapped in foil paper. Upon opening, the burger is revealed in all its juicy glory. It looks great, with two patties, oozing cheese and a super soft, slightly squished burger bun. As I bite in, the crisp, smoky bacon kicks into effect, along with my chosen grilled onion and Wowburger sauce toppings. The soft bun holds up very admirably to the challenge without disintegration. In short, it's a great burger. 

The fries are good, and a special mention must be made for the garlic butter fries, which are exactly as described on the tin. 

Burger and regular fries at Wowburger

Bacon cheese wowburger

I wish that someone had created Wowburger when I was a student. But then, I often wish that Sir Henry's in Cork was still with us and hadn't been demolished to make way for a carpark. I especially wish that Wowburger had been created in Sir Henry's. That would have been epic. But there's little point in wishing for things in the past, but there's much to admire about wishing for better things in the future. 

My single grouse is that the outdoor area is also the smoking area for the Workman's. Sorry, but I'm never going to be a fan of smoking when eating. It's just not nice. Putting that aside, Wowburger nails the dirty burger perfectly. Simple burgers, cooked exceptionally well, and served in a relaxed and cool location. Only thing to watch is that Wowburger stops serving at 9.30pm in the evening. That's probably a good thing!

Wowburger, (Upstairs at the Workman's Club), 11 Wellington Quay, Dublin 2
Tel: +353 (0)86 056 3144
URL: www.wowburger.ie
Twitter: @wowburgerdublin
Instagram: @wowburgerdublin

[Review] Hanoi Hanoi, Capel Street, Dublin 1

UPDATE: Hanoi Hanoi is now closed and replaced by Asian Mix Food.

Sometimes you walk into a restaurant and you're practically blown away. Such was the case for me when I walked into Hanoi Hanoi for a post-cinema Sunday lunch. Hanoi Hanoi is the newest Vietnamese restaurant to open in Dublin and I'd been gradually hearing more and more about it on the grapevine. Therefore, it was decreed that Sunday cinema would be followed by Sunday lunch at Hanoi Hanoi. 

Located at the north end of Capel Street, the interior is a truly glorious mix of exposed brickwork and wooden floors. The seating is mainly individual tables with caramel brown leather seats, while there is also a larger booth for families or parties. It's most definitely not the look of your usual ethnic eatery. Even the bathrooms are fantastic.

The menu is split into different sections, covering a range of Vietnamese food options. You can choose pho (rice noodle soup), banh mi (baguette sandwiches with a range of fillings), hotpots, Vietnamese spring rolls and many other options. The next thing that grabs my attention are the prices, which are extremely attractive to say the least.

We start with a mixture of small dishes. Banh bao is a large steamed bun made from rice flour, filled with a mix of vermicelli, minced pork, mushrooms and an egg (€4.50). It's served with a simple dab of chili sauce, and to be honest we find it filling but a bit bland. A salad of papaya, peanuts, mint and dried beef, dressed with a sweet vinaigrette is wonderfully refreshing (€5.80). I could eat bowls of this every day. Cured fermented pork rolls sounded intriguing on the menu (I was imagining some variation of spring rolls), but it turns out to be a solid pate-type substance, served with another dab of the chili sauce (€6.50).  According to the menu, this is one of Vietnam's most popular snacks for parties. In my opinion, they can keep it, but instead hand over more of that salad.

Steamed rice bun with pork, mushrooms and egg

Papaya, beef and peanut salad

Cured fermented pork rolls

A dish of turmeric fish fillet is cooked table side, on a cute little burner. First into the wok are the marinated fish pieces, followed by veg and then rice noodles and peanuts (€11.90). It's all over in the space of a few minutes and with a final flourish of dill and lemon, the dish is served up. It was nice to find that mackerel was the fish of choice, and it stood up well to the fragrant flavours. My dish of braised pork belly comes slightly  caramelised in a little clay pot with some braising juices. At €7.50 it's great value for money, with plenty of meat, sticky rice, topped with crispy onion pieces and little shavings of shredded meat or fish. 

Vegetables going into the wok-fried fish dish

Turmeric fish fillet getting its final toss

Braised pork belly with sticky rice and onions

Overall, most of the food at Hanoi Hanoi was nicely middle of the road flavourwise. But this is something that I've found to be generally true about Vietnamese food. The flavours are more subtle than other Asian cuisines, thanks probably to the French influence on Vietnam (most evident in the famous banh mi baguette sandwich). Vietnamese food focuses on fresh ingredients, with lots of herbs and vegetables with sparing use of oil. 

History is a weird beast and I only recently learned that 400 "boat people" escaped communist Vietnam to settle in Ireland in the 1970s. In order to prevent them from becoming an enclosed community, the Vietnamese families were dispersed to the four corners of Ireland, where they settled and started a new life. Eventually though, many of the families made it back to Dublin, bringing their traditional cuisine with them.

It's taken the Vietnamese significantly longer to make an impact on the Dublin dining scene when compared to Chinese and Japanese restaurants. But with venues like Hanoi Hanoi, they're making quite the impact. Absolutely recommended for novice Vietnamese diners. 

Hanoi Hanoi, 100-102 Capel Street, Dublin 1
Tel: +353 (0)1 878 8798
URL: www.facebook.com/Hanoidublin